Bookmakers simply love offering markets on novelty bets such as TV shows ‘Big Brother’, ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’, ‘Snow on Christmas Day’ and the No. 1 song in the ‘Christmas Charts’. For many that betting market has become as synonymous with the festive season as mince pies and snowmen.
Novelty betting’s popularity is not due to an abundance of betting turnover, it’s because they attract mainstream media attention which, in turn, entice new customers to a bookmaker’s client roster. But, in truth, serious money can be won on novelty markets.
Who knows, with a big enough crystal ball you may be able to match the £194,400 in profits collected by a Welsh punter on 2nd January 2000.
Ten years and two days earlier the intrepid gambler had staked £30 with William Hill on Cliff Richard receiving a knighthood (4/1), U2 remaining an active rock band (3/1), Eastenders still being around as a BBC soap opera (5/1), and both Neighbours (5/1) and Home Away (8/1) still being on British television screens all by or beyond the next decade. This successful 6,479/1 accumulator is the largest novelty bet killing in the history of bookmaking.
I’m a Celebrity, Get Me The Winnings
While the rewards may not be so great some TV gameshows prove easy pickings for recreational gamblers who do their homework, Ant & Dec’s ‘I’m a Celebrity’ is one such gameshow where winning money has proven to be relatively simple down the years.
A comb through the list of previous winners makes for interesting reading and acts as an invaluable form-guide.
The list of previous ‘I’m a Celebrity’ winners
2016 Scarlett Moffatt – Reality TV, 26, Durham
2015 Vicky Pattison – Reality TV, 28, Newcastle
2014 Carl Fogarty – Motorbike Racer 49, Lancashire
2013 Kian Egan – Pop Star 33, Ireland
2012 Charlie Brooks – Eastdenders, Actress 31, Hertfordshire
2011 Dougie Poynter – Pop Star, 23, Essex
2010 Stacey Solomon – X-Factor/Pop, 21, London
2009 Gino D’Acampo – Breakfast TV/Chef, 33, Italian
2008 Joe Swash – Eastenders, 26, London
2007 Chris Biggins – Kids TV, 58, Southampton
2006 Matt Willis – Pop Star, 23, London
2005 Carol Thatcher – Journalist, 52, London
2004 Joe Pasquale – Comedian, 43, Essex
2003 Kerry Katona – Pop Star, 23, Cheshire
2002 Phil Tufnell – Sportsman, 36, London
2001 Tony Blackburn – DJ, 58, Surrey
These show:
- Five of the 16 previous winners have been pop stars (or enjoyed a brief spell of notoriety as a singer/performer)
- Ten of the previous winners have been male
- Soap stars have a very poor record with just two previous winners.
- A former Footballer has yet to win the show
- There have been several American contestants and also former politicians. Neither genre has produced a winner
- Six previous winners have been aged 26 and less. Five winners aged 27-37, one aged 38-48 and four 49+
- London and Essex based contestants have won seven of the 16 series but have not supplied a winner since 2011
- Recent trends in this and other shows (such as Celebrity Big Brother) show former Gogglebox and Geordie Shore is proving a fruitful source of winners
So when this popular pre-Christmas show next comes around do give some serious consideration in to a comprehensive betting strategy utilising all the betting markets available to you.
For example, ‘sex of the winner’ and ‘longest lasting man/woman’ and use of the Betfair Betting Exchange which will allow you to oppose contestants and balance your own bookmaking books.
Toff’s got this won. It agrees with some of the form figures but not all. Is made in Chelsea a ‘soap’ or ‘reality TV’ show?